


Breaking Convention

by RetroLizard



Series: I want an Akushima Route [2]
Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-12
Updated: 2015-02-12
Packaged: 2018-03-12 01:00:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3338270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RetroLizard/pseuds/RetroLizard
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(With post-scrap Akushima, following a hypothetical Akushima Route.) Valentine's Day is right around the corner, but unfortunately for Aoba, he's in that weird "I don't know what we are" phase of his relationship with Akushima and isn't sure what, if anything, he should do. After getting a little advice from friends, he decides to take the plunge, and it's a bit harder than he thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breaking Convention

The day's work was unusually tedious. Aoba didn't mind data entry now and then, but he could only go so long before boredom set in and his mind wandered. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling and tapping away rhythmically at the same key on the keyboard over and over without actually pressing it. With a heavy sigh his gaze strayed over to his side, where Ren was curled up peacefully, not saying anything or paying Aoba any mind. He made for good company at work, even when quiet.

Aoba looked at the date on the calendar and realized something. "Valentine's day," he thought aloud. "Day after tomorrow, huh..."

"That's right," Ren said. "Does it have any significance for you, Aoba?"

"I dunno," he said. "Normally it wouldn't."

"Is it different this year?" Aoba's brow furrowed. Good damn question, that was. The holiday arrived with interesting timing this year.

It had only been a week or two since Akushima came back. After all the crazy stuff that happened in Platinum Jail; facing Toue, the tower collapsing, all those things that felt more like a bizarre dream now; once it was over, Akushima had suddenly disappeared. Aoba had gone to the police station to try and find out what happened to him, and was told he'd taken leave for an unknown period of time. No one seemed to know where he had actually gone, or if they did, they couldn't tell Aoba.

Gone without a word and with no indication he'd ever return, Aoba definitely began to think he was never going to. But then, over a month later, Akushima suddenly came back. He made a point of coming to see Aoba. He needed to thank him, he said. Aoba felt like he was talking to a different person. Well...like he was, and he wasn't. His "vacation", it seemed, was a time for him to be alone and reflect on who he was and how he wanted to change. Scrap was instrumental in his epiphany, no doubt about it, and that's why he had to thank Aoba.

Scrap did strange, amazing things to people, and as a side effect of it, Aoba felt he knew the real Akushima. He remembered the fresh-faced kid he met in Akushima's mind. The honest young man who wanted to become a cop and make his town a better place...safer from the sorts of low life scum that took his parent's lives away. Before the harsh realities of his career choice dragged him down, before Toue's influence, even before his ex-fiancée walked out on him...the man he was back then, when he first started, was still buried deep in there, under all the... _unpleasantness_ accumulated on the surface, and Scrap brought him back out. Talking to Akushima after his return was more like talking to _that_ man.

And that man, being one who was apparently a bit more open and honest with his feelings, did little to hide how he felt about Aoba. Though no real specific terms were thrown out, he made it perfectly clear he was attached to Aoba. Aoba was strangely attached to him, as well, though he couldn't say why. Another side effect of Scrap, maybe. Either way, the nature of their strange relationship had been unclear ever since.

"I wonder if Akushima would like a gift," Aoba mumbled.

"A Valentine's gift? For Akushima?" Ren tilted his head. "Is that to say you consider him a romantic interest, Aoba?"

Aoba's posture bolted upright in his chair, feeling a rush of blood to his face. "N-no, I didn't say that!!" He replied defensively. It was just Ren, so it was hard to say why he was getting to flustered about it. "That's not what I mean...! Exactly...m-more like, I'm not really sure _what_ he is."

"Mmm." Ren kept staring at him. "Though you did kiss him, isn't that correct?"

Aoba frantically shushed him, even though no one else was around to hear him. "J-jeez, Ren!! You know way too much!!" He buried his bright-red face in his hands and shook his head. "I did, but only because...I mean, you know...I was relieved. That was it!! That was the only reason!"

"Relieved?"

"After I scrapped him, he was just laying there, unresponsive," Aoba explained, voice growing softer as he relived the unhappy memory. "I was sure I'd broken his mind, just like I did to Mizuki...I thought I'd wrecked him for good." The guilt weighed on his chest even now. "So when he woke up and he was fine, it was just such a big relief I got kinda carried away with my emotions and...I..." Ren silently awaited the rest of his sentence, but Aoba couldn't even bring himself to finish it.

"...I see," Ren finally said. "So, you don't think he misinterpreted that, do you?"

Aoba grumbled a little to himself. 'Misinterpret' how, exactly? He'd kissed back, with gusto. And Aoba didn't stop him. What did it even mean? He groaned in frustration, leaning back in his chair. "I'm not sure, Ren."

"And now you say you want to get him a gift for Valentine's day?"

"The idea crossed my mind," Aoba said. "I think he might like it...maybe. And if he doesn't, then...then at least I'll know for sure, won't I?" Ren gave a little nod of agreement. It never ceased to amaze Aoba how much he was capable of understanding, for an Allmate.

"There's certainly no harm in trying."

"But then, what should I even get him? Giving chocolates on Valentine's is something women do..."

"That is the tradition, yes. I'm not sure what the protocol is when two men are involved."

"So...so what do you think I should do?"

"If you follow your gut instinct, I'm sure you won't be wrong."

Aoba hummed as he thought about it, and a smile came across his lips. He picked up Ren to rub his fluff against his face. "Thanks for always helping me sort out my thoughts, Ren!"

"The pleasure is mine."

He then looked at Ren directly, giving him an intensely warning stare. "And the only reason I talk to you about this stuff is because I know you'll never, _ever_ tell anybody, riiiiiight?"

"O-of course not, Aoba."

Setting Ren down, Aoba looked at the clock on the desk. He'd have to hurry up and get his work done to get out of here on time; he promised Koujaku they'd go get drinks together tonight after he got off. That was when it hit him: Koujaku. Who was more familiar with Valentine's day than a total lady killer like him? Maybe if Aoba played his cards right, he could get a few ideas out of him.

\---

Black Needle didn't feel the same without Mizuki around, but it was still the spot of choice any time Koujaku and Aoba felt like drinking. The atmosphere was far more light hearted ever since Mizuki regained consciousness. He still had some recovering to do, but promised he'd be back in action in no time, and his teammates were in high spirits while they held down the fort for him and eagerly awaited their leader's return.

A Dry Juice member handed Aoba his third beverage of the night, but not without throwing in a crack about Aoba being a lightweight. Seemed he just couldn't escape those kind of comments, Aoba mused, rolling his eyes and taking a sip from his glass. He had a nice buzz going...enough even to bring up the landmine-filled topic that still plagued his mind from earlier today. "Hey, Koujaku," he began, "Valentine's day is coming up really soon, isn't it?"

Koujaku, leaning his chin on the back of his hand, eyed Aoba and nodded. "Yeah...why?"

Aoba forced a laugh. "I bet you still get tons of chocolates, huh? You're just as popular as ever."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Koujaku said with a smirk. He could only appear so modest. "It's mostly regular customers. Last year I didn't even get that many...but hey, that's just fewer hearts I have to break on White Day, right?"

"Ohh, I see," Aoba said. "So...what do you even do with all that chocolate? I'm sure it's too much for one person to eat."

"I try to at least have a little piece from each one," Koujaku said. "Feels kind of cruel not to, don't you think?"

"Mmm, I see what you mean." Aoba's fingers drummed on the bar repetitively. "S-so, um...do you have a favorite?"

"...Huh?"

"Is there any that stand out in your memory that you really liked?" Koujaku gave him a puzzled look and an 'I don't know' shrug. Shit, Aoba wasn't sure where to go with this. He fumbled with his words. "Uh, like, you know, is there a...if someone were gonna get someone something...for Valentine's, what would be the best thing to get, in your opinion?"

Koujaku stared at him thoughtfully for a second. "Ah." All of a sudden his eyes grew wide like a light bulb had blinked on in his head. "Oh!" Staring straight ahead, he rubbed his chin and thought about it. "Hmm...well...I guess I liked the not-so-sweet chocolates best," he decided after a moment. Aoba frowned. That wouldn't work for Akushima; as he'd learned in Platinum Jail, the man had a sweet tooth to rival a professional pastry chef.

"Is that right," Aoba mumbled, obviously not liking the answer.

"Although, strictly speaking, it doesn't even need to be chocolate," Koujaku added. "It could be anything." He beamed at Aoba. "If it were me, any gift that came from the heart would be good enough."

Aoba 'hmm'ed and looked down, thinking. It didn't have to be chocolate? It could be anything? Maybe he could think of something more specific to Akushima's tastes, then. "Alright!" Aoba said with determination. He could think of something really good, he was sure of it. He still had an entire day, after all.

Koujaku took a sip of his drink, turning away to hide the smile stuck to his face. Aoba was just too cute for words. He'd have to pretend he hadn't caught on, so as not to spoil the surprise...but a Valentine gift from Aoba, this was like a dream come true. "I-I'm sure whatever you decide will be perfect," he said quietly.

Aoba didn't pay much attention to his comment, as he was too busy thinking about what Akushima would like.

\---

Aoba's heart was starting to beat a little harder as every step brought him that much closer to the police station. He'd gotten to the bakery before they even opened that morning, and his spoils were tucked away safely in the bag on his shoulder. (It would have made the space too cramped for Ren, so for the time being he'd left him at home.) These macarons weren't cheap, but they should be worth the price tag. He'd even gotten an extra one to try himself, just to make sure they were good enough. It was the best bakery in town, so of course they were delicious, and he was sure Akushima would like them.

But then there was the matter of actually _giving_ them, something Aoba hadn't thought about until after he already bought the damn things. It had to be in person, that was for sure. Anything else lacked the necessary personal touch. He'd never done anything like this, but how hard could it be...?

He arrived at the station, and gulped down his nervousness as he stepped inside. The receptionist more than recognized his face by now, so saying he was here to see the chief and getting in was easy enough. By the time the door to Akushima's office came into view, his heart was threatening to pound right out of his ribcage. Taking a deep breath, he sheepishly knocked a few times, almost too softly to be heard.

A loud grunt that might have been some sort of affirmation could be heard from inside. A few seconds went by in silence, Aoba hesitating as he wasn't sure if that was supposed to be permission. "Are you coming in or not?!" Akushima growled, making Aoba jump. He opened the door and peered around it, coming in slowly.

"H-hi."

"Oh, it's you!" As he looked up from the papers in his hand, Akushima's face instantaneously transformed from annoyed into pleasantly surprised. He dropped them without a thought on his desk, jumping to his feet from where he'd been reclining in his leather chair. "I wasn't expecting you!"

Aoba half-closed the door behind him. "Ah, sorry...I guess I should have called or something..."

"No no, it's fine!" Akushima came closer to him, his smile from ear to ear. Was he really this happy just to see Aoba...? "It's no problem at all."

"Oh, good," Aoba said. "I'd feel bad if I interrupted you when you were working or anything."

Akushima 'pssh'ed and waved his hand. "Who cares? Work can always wait, right?" Aoba laughed.

"Yeah, right. You're like the biggest workaholic I know, and you're saying that?" It made Akushima pout, just a little.

"Hmmph. Come on, I'm not _that_ bad." Akushima gave a little smirk, as if to say 'you got me'. He crossed his arms and leaned back against his desk. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Oh, right. He came here for a reason. Aoba opened his mouth to say why he'd come and suddenly drew a blank. Obviously he knew why, but for some reason words escaped him. "Ah. Well..." The macarons. He pictured the pastel-colored pastries packed neatly in their pretty little box, hidden in his bag. 'I wanted to give you something'. That would work. 'I got these for you'. That would work too. _Come on, just say it,_ he argued with himself mentally. _Say it. Say something, say anything!!_

"Uhh, I...I...umm..." Damn it, why was this so hard?! Just give him the damn things! He glanced up, and Akushima was looking right at him. He blinked and tilted his head a bit, probably wondering why Aoba had been quiet for so long. Damn it, this was so embarrassing!! How had he gotten himself into this?! Panicking, Aoba started to reach for the zipper on his bag. "I, you see, I..."

"Yes...?" Akushima encouraged him slowly.

Aoba's hand stopped, then fell straight down to his side. He'd lost his nerve. He couldn't do it. "I just came to ask you a question," he stammered. _Fuck._

"Oh...what is it?" Akushima was being surprisingly patient. Aoba felt his face starting to get hot, and cursed himself. What a damn coward, having come all this way and not even being able to give it to him! He forced a smile. He had to ask him something now.

"I wanted to know...if...you have plans tonight."

"Plans?" Akushima's eyes went wide, and he shook his head. "No, I don't! No plans at all, I'm completely free!! Why? Did you wanna do something?!"

"Eh?" Aoba had to think. _Did_ he want to do something...? He'd just said the first question that popped into his head. What the heck, he could roll with it. "Umm...sure! If you'd like to."

"Of course I'd like to!" Akushima didn't even try to hide his excitement. "I'd love to! What did you have in mind?"

"Uhh, nothing in particular," Aoba mumbled into his hand, thinking hard. "Maybe...Platinum Jail...?" It had opened to the public recently, after all, and Aoba hadn't really been back since the incident. It couldn't hurt to check out all the shops and restaurants and stuff, since he could properly enjoy it now.

"Alright, sounds great!" Akushima grinned, and Aoba could almost see the happy spark in his eye. "I'll swing by after you're off tonight!"

Oh, shoot, that reminded him, we was going to be late for work if he didn't leave soon. "Ah, okay! I guess...I'll see you then," he said. This didn't go exactly how he planned. He'd made a decent enough save, but...the macarons. He'd spent quite a bit on them, there was no way he could go this far and then chicken out! He chewed his lip, trying to muster up his courage, and his gaze strayed to to the window. An idea struck and he gasped, pointing out the window dramatically. "Oh my god!! Is that a drug deal going down?!"

"WHAT?!" Akushima bolted for the window and looked outside. Now was his chance! Aoba hastily opened his bag, pulled the fancy, gilded box out and placed them on top of Akushima's desk, and started backing away towards the door. Akushima turned to look at him, baffled. "I don't see anything, Aoba."

"Oh, really? Must've just been my imagination, haha! OkaythenI'llseeyoulaterBYE!" Not waiting another second, Aoba shuffled out the door and made his way out of the station as fast as his feet would walk, then broke into a full run the instant he was outside.

\---

Mentally reliving his experience from that morning for the umpteenth time today, Aoba buried his face in his hands and groaned. "Are you okay, Aoba?" He glanced down at Ren, fluffy tail wagging as he looked up with concern.

"I can't stop thinking about it," he sighed, picking up his Allmate to put him in his lap. "What an idiot I made of myself earlier..."

"I'm sure it's not as bad as you're making it sound," Ren said.

"It's _worse_ ," Aoba grumbled. Once more he recalled the way he'd awkwardly hurried out of Akushima's office after leaving the box on his desk. It had a tiny card attached that said 'Happy Valentine's', so it would be perfectly obvious what the gift was for, even if Akushima had forgotten what day it was today. Which, knowing him, was a distinct possibility. "I sure hope he likes them," Aoba sighed wistfully.

"I don't doubt he will," Ren said, reassuring as ever.

"Say...I wonder if anyone he works with will find out," Aoba mumbled, the thought coming to him suddenly. "Plenty of people saw me...what if someone found out and word spread around?"

"Would that be a bad thing?"

"Of course it would! Wouldn't it?" Aoba pouted, not liking the idea one bit. "I mean, a few people already know we went into Oval Tower together," he thought aloud. "And only Koujaku and a few other people know we had a direct connection to the collapse of Toue Inc and everything, but...the rest is a secret! The only ones that know about it are the two of us...and of course, you, Ren."

"I believe you're overthinking it, Aoba," Ren said bluntly. "You don't need to worry so much."

"I'm sure you're right," Aoba sighed. Even acknowledging he was overthinking didn't mean he could stop, and he probably would keep overthinking until it killed him.

"Aoba-kun!" Haga-san's voice interrupted them as he entered the room. "Would you mind running a delivery for me?"

\---

Getting out for fresh air and having his blood pumping was good for distracting Aoba from his worries, as was the music blasting through his headphones. Walking at a fast pace, he turned the corner onto a back street he didn't usually take. It never hurt to try out a different route and see if it was any faster, and even if it wasn't, it made for a change of scenery. Mostly drowned out by GOATBED's tunes, Aoba could have sworn he heard his name. He brushed it off as coincidence, but then he heard it again, so he pulled the headphones off.

"Aoba, wait up! Damn it, I said waaaAAAAAAAAAAAIIITT!!!!" Approaching from behind, the voice grew louder and closer, making Aoba stop in his tracks and spin around.

"Akushima?!" The man was running full speed down the sidewalk until he finally caught up with Aoba, doubling over to catch his breath. "Ahh, I'm sorry!! I couldn't hear you!" Aoba apologized.

"Nah, s'fine, don't worry 'bout it," he panted, straightening himself out. It was then Aoba noticed he had something in his hand, but it quickly disappeared behind Akushima's back in a blur of blue and green. Akushima gave an awkward laugh and rubbed at the back of his neck. "G-good thing I managed to find you."

"A-ah..." Aoba's gaze trailed down to the sidewalk where a few stray leaves and blue petals littered the ground. _Just because you hide it behind your back doesn't mean I didn't see it, ya big dummy..._

"I wanted to thank you for the macarons," Akushima said. "They were really, really delicious!!"

Looking up, Aoba smiled bashfully. "Oh...? Good, I'm...really glad..." he said, voice growing tiny.

"And also--" Akushima cleared his throat and revealed what he'd been hiding, holding out a large bouquet of aquamarine-colored flowers. "These aaarrrrre for you." His face started to turn red, averting his eyes off to the side. "I know roses are traditional and all, but these, well, they kinda reminded me of you. Just 'cause, you know, they're really pretty." Aoba was speechless, stunned into silence. He reached out to take the bouquet, admiring the beautiful color of the blossoms. Bringing them closer to his face, he breathed in their scent. It was a delicate smell, and unexpectedly nice.

Aoba had never even considered the possibility of receiving flowers as a gift before. It came as a surprise, as did the feeling bubbling up inside that he could only call happiness. Funny that a simple plant could cause this. "Do you like them...?" Akushima asked, snapping Aoba out of his daze. Akushima was still a bit red in the face, awaiting his answer expectantly. _Damn it, he can be really cute when he wants to...!_

"Yes! Yes, I love them." Aoba finally said. "Thank you!"

"Alright!" Akushima sighed, as if relieved his gift had gone over well. "I hope you're looking forward to our date tonight, because I'm taking you to one of the fanciest restaurants in Platinum Jail!"

...Date? Aoba nearly repeated the word aloud, but stopped himself. Thinking back to their conversation that morning...was that what he had agreed to? Oh wait, no. He'd extended the invitation in the first place. He could hardly even remember what he ended up saying, since he was so focused on how he'd embarrassed himself. But that was what it was, wasn't it? A date? "Oh!" Aoba said. "You don't really have to take me someplace fancy..."

"Nah, I want to," Akushima brushed him off. "It's my treat, so think nothing of it!" He seemed genuinely excited about it, if his wide smile was any indicator.

"If you insist," Aoba said with a sort of obviously feigned reluctance. That was when he remembered he'd actually been in the middle of something just now. "Oh, I should probably get back to work...I was kind of running a delivery..."

"Right, right!! Sorry to keep you."

"No worries," Aoba shook his head. He wondered if he'd have to hurry home and change into some nicer clothes after work, or if he could even think of a decent outfit. When was the last time someone took him on a date someplace fancy? Hell, when was the last time he went on a date at all?! Now that he thought about it, he couldn't help getting a little excited, too. He looked at Akushima with a smile, making his voice so soft if Akushima had been standing any further away he might not have heard him. "I can't wait for tonight...Hiro."

Now _that_ caught him off guard. Maybe he didn't even remember that Aoba had learned his first name when he scrapped him. Either way his eyes widened in surprise, the color returning to his cheeks, and his reaction made Aoba giggle. Maybe no one else normally called him that? Aoba liked the idea that it was something only for him. Unable to resist the urge he leaned in and closed the distance between them, planting a tiny, innocent kiss on Akushima's cheek. "Thanks for the flowers," he mumbled.

Just as he began to lean away he was stopped, and the next thing he knew a pair of lips was covering his own. Strong hands captured his shoulders, and Aoba instinctively closed his eyes, not resisting. Tense at first, but after a second he allowed himself to melt into it. It didn't take much for Aoba to lose his sense of time, but after a few seconds it ended, and by the time he'd reopened his eyes Akushima was starting to leave. "See you tonight," he mumbled, smiling at Aoba bashfully just before turning and taking off in the opposite direction.

Aoba put his hand over his mouth, his cheeks burning. The pressure on his lips left a lingering sensation. _That was a little long for a goodbye kiss, I think..._

Either way, he couldn't say he didn't like it. Unlike the kiss at Oval Tower it was filled with much less turbulent emotions, but it felt a little similar, too. The same strangeness and lack of familiarity and yet somehow feeling _right_ all at once. Aoba began to move his feet, to continue on his way...where was he going, again?...and wished his heart would calm the heck down already. He stopped in his tracks once more, though, instinctively looking up when he felt sets of eyes on him.

He was indeed being looked at...from across the street. By two men that were quite familiar. "Ah...it's Hagima and Kou..." he mumbled. The two Benishigure members were just about gaping at Aoba. How much exactly had they seen? What were they even doing here?! Well...he was sort of on a public street. In the middle of the day. It wasn't _that_ odd for them to be here. And now that he'd seen them he couldn't very well not acknowledge them. Aoba laughed awkwardly and raised his hand to wave at them, and they slowly raised theirs as well, waving in return.

Continuing on his way as if nothing unusual happened, Aoba felt like he might simply burst into flames. That was it, then. It wasn't much of a secret now, and Koujaku would probably find out before the day was over, and the next thing you knew the whole damn gang would probably be aware of it, as would Dry Juice. The infamous guy who busted into Oval Tower and wrecked Toue's shit, and the police chief everyone knew as the big annoying loudmouth...? Sure, nothing interesting about that at all.

Aoba had to take a deep breath to calm his nerves, telling himself everything would be fine. Alright, so they both had their reputations, and maybe Akushima's wasn't so good. But what did it matter what everyone else thinks? _They don't know the real Akushima,_ Aoba thought. _I do_. It was a little different, but that wasn't so bad, was it? Aoba looked again at the flowers in his hand. He lifted it to his face, inhaling their fragrance. No, different wasn't bad, he mused happily, picking up his pace and hoping this day would go by fast. Different wasn't bad at all.

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write something with one of my favorite pairings for Valentine's Day, but I also wanted to explore the idea of an Akushima route (WHY DIDN'T YOU GIVE US ONE, N+C) and what I think Akushima would be like after scrap. His first name was dreamed up by johnnybooboo on tumblr, I just thought it suited him vry well. It also might have been this same tumblr user who first suggested the headcanon of his parents being killed by thugs when he was young but I'm not sure?? Either way I'm very very gomen if it seems like I'm taking ideas or stepping on any toes, I just really love these ideas and I love the tiny but dedicated fandom that Akushima has and how everyone seems to basically agree that he used to be a sweetie and deep down he still is a sweetie and he is also a giant dork with a giant dorky crush on Aoba okay I'm done


End file.
